Twitter: Thanks Facebook and You Other Old Guys, but …

A section of Twitter’s IPO filing takes readers on a trip through the evolution of online social interaction, and in the process makes some well-crafted digs at older competitors like Facebook, Google and others. Twitter could have titled the section: “Thanks, but … .”

Twitter, of course, says it makes up for those shortcomings thanks to new technologies. We’ve highlighted the needling for your convenience:

The Evolution of Content Creation, Distribution and Discovery

The Internet and digitization have allowed for virtually all content to be made available online, but the vast array of content has made it difficult for people to find what is important or relevant to them. Over time, technologies have been developed to address this challenge:

Web Browsers. In the early to mid-1990s, browsers, including Netscape Navigator and Internet Explorer, presented content on the Internet in a visually appealing manner and allowed people to navigate to specific websites, but the content experience was generally not personalized or tailored to a person’s interests and information was often difficult to find.

Web Portals. In the mid to late-1990s, Yahoo!, AOL, MSN and other web portals aggregated and categorized popular content and other communication features to help people discover relevant information on the Internet. These portals, while convenient, and with some ability to personalize, offer access to a limited amount of content.

Search Engines. In the early-2000s, Google and other search engines began providing a way to search a vast amount of content, but search results are limited by the quality of the search algorithm and the amount of content in the search index. In addition, given the lag between live events and the creation and indexing of digital content, search engine results may lack real-time information. Also, search engines generally do not surface content that a person has not requested, but may find interesting.

Social Networks. In the mid-2000s, social networks, such as Facebook, emerged as a new way to connect with friends and family online, but they are generally closed, private networks that do not include content from outside a person’s friends, family and mutual connections. Consequently, the depth and breadth of content available to people is generally limited. Additionally, content from most social networks is not broadly available off their networks, such as on other websites, applications or traditional media outlets like television, radio and print.

Twitter follows the back-handed compliments to the old guard with how it takes online communication to the next level: worldly, expressive, immediate and consequential.